BURST Issue #21, October 2014 by BURST Magazine

October 2014 Issue #21 | $1.99

A new star is Rising

London Grammar Meet

Chanel Ryan The World of

Paul Thomas Anderson Inside BURST

The Legendary

Christopher Lee

A beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ISSN 2241-5386

9 772241 538000

Photography is a miracle. Do you believe?

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3 BURST MAGAZINE

pages 6-17 Articles

pages 18-31 Interviews

pages 32-35 Albums Reviews

page 48 Director’s Cut

S ir CHRISTOPHER LEE Sir Christopher Lee is not just an actor. He’s a living legend. At the age of 92 and with an acting career spanning in seven decades, his acting resume is really impressive. Read the whole story and interview on page 18

page 50 Film Reviews

page 52 TV Series Beginner’s Guide

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publisher

Raphael Aretakis

editor in chief

Spiros Smyrnis

senior editors

Sissy Fanouraki Jo Gogou Angie Rouska Panagiotis Tsoutsis

editors

contributing editors

proofreading / translations photographers

Alexis Seitanidis Eleni Lampraki Gabrielle Koch Helen Marie Joyce Joe Prostredny Kostas Krasonis Kostas Tsotsanis Mike Ritchie Barbara Pavone Dialekti Angeli Giorgos Kotrozinis Paschalis Koutsogiannis Alexia Lampropoulou B|S|Orestis

B|S|O Jo Gogou Raphael Aretakis Joe Prostredny

special guest

Karolina Pacan

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Massive Attack! Top ten songs! By Jo Gogou

“Massive Attack is an English musical group from Bristol consisting of Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, formed in 1988. Their debut album Blue Lines was released in 1991, with the single “Unfinished Sympathy” reaching the charts and later being voted the 63rd greatest song of all time in a poll by NME. 1998′s Mezzanine, containing “Teardrop“, and 2003′s 100th Window charted in the UK at number 1. Both Blue Lines and Mezzanine feature in Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Massive attack… A band that proved their value from day one: showed how successful they could be, how stable through time and have kept a steady musical balance throughout the years. One of their first songs is the #1 “Any love”, created in 1988. Next to Massive Attack were Carlton McCarthy and Neneh Cherry. Mostly at the first album but they collaborated in later ones as well. One of the songs that still are widely played and being continuously covered and reBURST www.afternoiz.com

mixed is the #2 “Unfinished Sympathy”. It is one more production by Abbey Road studio and Will Malone. At the year it was one of the best ten songs (1991) as voted from The Guardian. Next stop: the #3 “Teardrop”. A collaboration with Elizabeth Fraser, by Cocteau Twins. If you have seen the video clip, you surely recognized the work of Walter Stern; one of the many times they had worked together towards success.

Massive Attack always remind us of their talent through their music and videos. One of those reminders is the track that follows. #6 “Black Milk”, this one is more far back, in 1998. The album “Mezzanine”, is one of the albums that holds the greater success. #7, 1994, the album is called Protection and the song “Karmacoma”. Made with: Vowles, Del Naja, Marshall, Tricky, Norfolk and Locke. This video clip was done by Jonathan Glazer.

Moving on we have #4, the “Angel” with Horace Andy. He actually had worked with them before that. There have been many others of course, used for soundtracks in movies, or on tv sets. One of them is the “Dissolved Girl”. It was in the film The Jackal, released in 1997. It was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and starred the Bruce Willis and Richard Gere.

In 2003 the album 100th Window is released. There we recognise the voice of Sinéad O’Connor, the song is #8, “A prayer for England”. The producers are Del Naja and Neil Davidge

At #5 there is the “Live with me” which takes us back to 2006. Listen to it and you will hear the voice of Terry Callier. Moreover Neil Davidge, Robert Del Naja, participated in this one.

For the end, at #10 I left it for the best one. It is the “Safe from Harm”. Shara Nelson sings and Billy Cobham matches the music. It is from the first album in 1991, and it was in a movie as well (The Insider).

At #9 we have one song from the same album, the “Babel” with Martina TopleyBird.

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Skrillex The new dubstep messiah! By Alexis Seitanidis

Looking back to his short career in the music industry, I think it would be fair to say that Sonny Moore AKA Skrillex came into the spotlight a few years ago, like an 18 wheeler through your front door. It would be also fair to say that he is the one responsible for bringing a more or less forgotten or at least no so popular genre into the mainstream. Dubstep emerged back in the late 90’s in London, through the combination of various music styles including instrumental reggae, hence the dub part, and different types of electronic music like breakbeat and drum n bass. Back in those days, it was known among few and didn’t have much of a fan base outside of the UK. Gradually, since 2009 it started growing and one year later Skrillex managed to take the US by storm with a sound holding clear dubstep BURST www.afternoiz.com

influences, but was not exactly the type of thing you would hear 15 years ago when the genre first originated. Skrillex switched to electronic music from a complete different background. In 2004 he initially joined the screamo band From First to Last as their guitar player and then he took over vocals. After a series of succesful tours and record releases he decided to quit the band due to problems he suffered with his throat and by 2008 he began performing on his own by the name of Skrillex around the US. Two years later his debut EP titled “My Name is Skrillex” was released and became an instant hit which was also helped by the fact that it was given out free for downloading. His presence and his ongoing success didn’t go unnoticed and shortly after the Canadian music producer and DJ Deadmau5 record label Mau5trap

Recordings offered him a record deal. That’s when things started to escalate pretty quickly leading to the release of his successful second EP titled “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”. By that time the whole world was talking about this new phenomenon that played sold out shows in arenas and clubs all across the globe and a man who revived a style of music that had become an artifact from the past. Apart from the commercial success he earned, Skrillex ended up winning a total of six Grammy Awards and a number of songs he produced were used in video games and television commercials. In the summer of 2011 he also set up his own record label, which many claim that is has a unique ear in picking the people that will fill its roster, signing mainly artists from an electronic music background . His latest release named Re-

cess didn’t fall far from his previous albums, commercially selling almost 50,000 copies in its first week although musically this time Skrillex decides to fool around with different genres. No matter how you look at it at a time where major record labels have realized that electronic music as we know it today is much more promising when it comes to profit compared to what it was 15 years ago, its easy for someone to see that Skrillex is like a goldmine that keeps growing bigger every day with a little help from the social media realm. Although for some his music is definitely not their cup of tea, and will probably fade away in a couple of years, bearing that in mind we have to acknowledge that from what he has achieved up to now he is here to stay and we will be hearing from him again again in the near future.

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XStorieS Ray The life of Ian Curtis by Jo Gogou

Ian Kevin Curtis. Born at July 15, 1956 in the Memorial Hospital at Stretford. His childhood will be spent at Macclesfield, where he endeavours in artistic activities, such as poetry. When he was 11 years old he was considered as a prodigy child and he got his first (school) award by the King’s School, Macclesfield. He was not one of those kids that studied a lot or possessed a certain academic charisma. He was a mediocre one, but for BURST www.afternoiz.com

some reason, with good timing he was in the right place to articulate what was created in his mind. He experimented with words, lyrics, rhymes. One could say, especially when noticing the course of his life, that he could be one of the romantic poets or else one of the cursed poets. It can be no coincidence that they are all united in a pessimistic way, most typically by ending their own lives. Since he was a child, he tried to find things to do, not so much

to attract attention, but to feel alive and active. Just before entering puberty he found it interesting to experiment with speed, height, his own strength… Mischiefs that gave his body bruises and wounds. “Existence is.. well.. what does it matter? I exist on the best terms I can. The past is now part of my future. The present is well out of hand.” During his short life he created a family with Deborah Woodruff in 1975 and to have a

daughter,Natalie, born in 1979. Unfortunately he had to go through many jobs to help his family and he had to deal with his mental state. He suffered from depression and epilepsy. “I can now see everything falling to pieces before my eyes.” Things you didn’t know: #1 He got a job as a stuntman. With a wooden sledge as a landing pad he found himself jumping of the roof of a garage. Milton H. Greene

11 The result? Injuries… “I used to work in a factory and I was really happy because I could daydream all day.” #2 Using his know-how he managed to earn money. For example he cleaned a building next to the studio where they recorded or he would collect wrappers to sell them and make cigarette money. The album ‘Unknown Pleasures’ was a successful one, but not enough to cover him financially. #3 When he was younger he had the same problem: money. He wanted albums, cigarettes and booze. So often he would visit the market of Macclesfield and shoplift records. #4 When he completed his A level studies, Ian contemplated with the idea of moving to London. He followed an advert for a job only to find that the job required was the one of a gigolo. #5 He once had to complete social services. That meant he would visit the elderly. That also mean that he stole drugs from them and used them with his friends. He was sent to the hospital once and had his stomach pumped because of this behaviour.

#6 He was after a Tv slot and he tried to convince Tony Wilson to help him with that. He wrote a letter to him, calling him a bastard, and got his way. They performed Shadowplay and She’s lost control. #7 He had a bizarre allergy, he was allergic to the sun. His hands would get red if he stayed under the sun too long; A suiting allergy for such an intense personality. #8 His stage performances were peculiar too: “He dropped a pint pot on the stage, it smashed, and he rolled around in the broken glass, cutting a ten-inch gash in his thigh,” remembers Peter Hook. #9 Originally the Joy Division were called Warsaw, after the song Warsawa, by Bowie’s Low album. Their first live was at 29th May 1977 at the Electric Circus, with the Buzzcocks and John Cooper Clarke. #10 Paul Morley was to be their producer for their first EP. An “urgent” hangover kept him away. However he supported them in press conferences as their shyness did not help with handling the press. “Two ways to choose, which way to go Decide for me, please let me know

Pictures all around, of how a good life should be A model for the rest, that bred insecurity Everything seemed easy but I didn’t have the heart Me in my own world, yeah you there beside The gaps are enormous, we stare from each side” Most of you know him from Joy Division. It all started in 1979, the same year he had his daughter, when he met Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook. They had the idea of a new band, its structure, without yet having all the members.Ian, chasing his love for music anyway he could, suggested that he would sing and write the lyrics. So it happened. They were about to launch their journey of success. Ahh they needed was a drummer.Stephen Morris would be the one. The original name, the Warsaw, prove to be a wrong choice. It already existed as Warsaw Pakt. The final decision was the name Joy Division, as it is still known up to now. For the ones that do not know the history behind it, please pay attention. It comes from the novel, The House of Dolls, 1955. It is about a nazi camp that has a special wing. Weird sexual referenced things take

place there, it is the famous “Joy Division” wing . Their first album had a striking cover. A nazi with a drum and the word “Warsaw”. It is a word commonly mentioned in nazi history. Rumours told that they were fans of naziz and that their lyrics had hidden meanings. They denied all that of course and only admitted that it held a certain charm for them without ever supporting the ideology or power forced by violence. Joy Division met fame real soon. After a TV appearance, Curtis began to magnetize people with his stage performances, his dance and movement through space, as well as with his voice hoarseness. Curtis did not hide his concerns on life, the world and the future. It all appeared in his voice somehow. His voice changed octaves, when speaking or singing it was so different that you couldn’t help but notice that. “I struggle between what I know is right in my own mind, and some warped truthfulness as seen through other people’s eyes who have no heart, and can’t see the difference anyway.” Sadly his mental state and his inner world was shaken daily. Depression had reached him to his limits and so did the epilepsy- he had episodes on stage too. He ended his life at May 18 1980. He was found hanged inside his parents kitchen… Barton Street, Macclesfield. The gravestone wrote “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. It disappeared in 2008 and was replaced by a new one. “Pictures all around, of how good a life should be, a model for the rest, that bred insecurity, I walked a jagged line and then came back for more, it’s always in my mind, an institution with no law.” “An ordinary bloke just like you or me, liked a bit of a laugh, a bit of a joke.” BURST www.afternoiz.com

Knockin’ On

Heaven’s BY helen Door marie joyce

Fact File Days on Earth: April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984 (aged 44)

Associated Act: Marvin Gaye (1961- 1982), also New Moonglows, Harvey Fuqua, Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross (Genres: Soul // R n’ B // Psychedelic Soul // Funk, Blues, Jazz, Pop)

Biggest Influence: Ray Charles, Little Willie Joe, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra.

Quoted: “I hope to refine music, study it, try to find some area that I can unlock. I don’t quite know how to explain it but it’s there. These can’t be the only notes in the world, there’s got to be other notes some place, in some dimension, between the cracks on the piano keys.”

Born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. in Washington D.C., Marvin was an important cog in the Soul Music machine; this is what his overbearing stringent father, Marvin Gay, Sr. failed to foresee when he unleashed his Christian rage on Marvin Jr. and his 5 other siblings while they were growing up. But actually, even 40 years later, Gay Jr.’s worldwide success did not soften Sr. in giving Jr. a break, nor did it stop him from shooting Jr. point blank one day before his 45th birthday. Marvin Gay(e)’s death is one of the most tragic ones in musical history, in the true ancient Greek sense; for it is not only just ‘sad’, or ‘a shame’, and no one can say he had his death coming through his own recklessness. His premature death was caused by his own father’s hand, a betrayal of inconceivable proportions. For Gay Sr., Gay(e) Jr. may have been ‘disposable’ but not to the rest of the world. Marvin Gaye, singer, song-writer and musician, helped to form the Motown soul sound in the early 1970’s, bridging the rugged Rhythm and Blues with smooth, silky Soul, and revolutionized the contemporary Soul scene for the artists that followed in his stride, being called one of the greatest musicians of all time. The junior years of Marvin Jr. – Those were not the days

All photos are property of their rightful owners. BURST is using them to accompany this article. We have no right on the photos.

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Not atypical of most 4 year olds who have no free choice over religion, and combined with the fact that his father was a church minister, Marvin Jr.

became involved with music under the auspices of the House of God. He began to sing in the church choir and, as his voice stood-out there and at school performances, the father encouraged his son’s musical aspirations. Yet, as you can imagine, being the son of a minister, Marvin Jr.’s conduct (and that of his 5 siblings) was constantly under heavy scrutiny by the all seeing eye of Reverend Marvin Gay Sr. Reverend Gay did not spare any beatings, and Marvin Jr. was the bruising recipient of most of those. He was the “peculiar, changeable, cruel and all powerful King” of their lives, Marvin Jr. has said of his despotic father. Their daily lives were abundant in lashings, whippings, slapping, using rods, belts, bare hands – you name it! He would make them recite from the Bible and every little mistake was dearly paid for. And his abuse did not stop there – it continued well into Marvin Jr’s teenage years. Hate came more easily to the Reverend than love and it was no secret that Marvin Jr. was his least favourite, at times claiming he was not even his child, and at others he tried

to poison his mother against the young boy. When Marvin was a teenager the Reverend left the church because he was denied a promotion and couldn’t hold a steady job for nearly 3 years. This is when he began to notably abuse alcohol and cross-dress in his wife’s clothes which Marvin Jr. witnessed. This disgusted Marvin Jr. even more so and it goes without saying that Marvin Jr.’s coming of age came precisely at the right time, just before the point of no return. They grew further and further apart. Marvin Jr. openly felt that he was not wanted by his father, and that his mother failed to console him enough to make up for his father’s detest; so his childhood years were overshadowed by a lack of gaiety, if you will. (How ironic!) I think it is safe to say that if it weren’t for his mother however, Marvin Jr. could have been a child suicide case and no one in the world, apart from his family, would know his name. At 17 Marvin Jr. had had enough and permanently left his home of despair and dropped out of highschool, with dreams of becoming a pilot. But, he found it difficult

13 to adhere to the disciplinary nature of the training. And so singing returned to the forefront of his career path (Amen!) Thank the Lord for Music! Marvin turned to a musical career as though it was a lifeline of some sort. He was dedicated despite the initial shortcomings of the first group he was part of, The Marquees. The Marquees were a vocal quartet formed by Marvin’s friend Reese Palmer, whose single plummeted in the charts, costing them their label contract. It was not all bad however, as Marvin used this period to work on his music composition skills and incidentally the group were later enlisted by Harvey Fuqua as hired musicians for his newly reformed and, New Moonglows based in Chicago. With Moonglows and Fuqua, Marvin shone like a crazy diamond and recorded his first lead vocal track in 1959. Yet a year later Moonglows were dissolved and Marvin moved to Detroit to work as a session musician with Fuqua, who eventually got him

an opportunity with Motown tycoon Berry Gordy in 1960. Motown’s daughter company Tamla, then signed with Marvin. Marvin also ‘signed with’ Anna Gordy, Berry’s sister, and the couple married a year after dating. This was the time that Marvin added an ‘e’ to his controversial surname, following in Sam Cooke’s footsteps. Info Alert! How ironic is it that both performers were killed by being shot and at a young age? This change made his image more professional (silencing the mocking with regards to his sexuality) and now formally distancing himself from his bestial father. His debut album, “The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye” (1961) sounding like an amalgamation of Jazz, Blues and Soul sprinkled with a bit of Pop and even less R&B’, and in which Gaye sung as a smooth tenor, failed to make a lasting impression, as it was a difficult start for this new direction of sound. Motown and its affiliated labels had become strongly associated with R&B’ and Soul music, so this fresh take did not make instant fans. The second album “That Stub-

born Kinda Fellow” (1962) was more Jazz-founded, with gospel influences in Gaye’s singing style and, of course some of the backbone of Motown, a lil’ R&B groove. Gaye stood by Jazz as he was strongly influenced by Ray Charles and his musical paths. Yet he had paid attention to the Motown audience of the time, and incorporated elements of younger sounding R&B’ and Pop that were hardly noticeable on an album with an overall Rock n’ Roll feel. There were several tracks off this album that were released as singles and made the charts: ‘Stubborn Kinda Fellow’, ‘Hitch Hike’ and ‘Pride and Joy’. A series of live performances followed after the album was well received, which culminated in Tamla releasing a live record, “Marvin Gaye Recorded Live On Stage” (1963). His success placed him at the centre of Motown’s talent pool. A Soul duet album with one of his esteemed peers, Mary Wells, called “Together” was released by Motown in 1964, and then in 1965 Gaye released his “Moods of Marvin Gaye” all

the single releases of which did phenomenally well in R&B and Pop charts, selling millions, despite Gaye’s dislike of the strict R&B sound. More duets with popular names ensued, at first with Kim Weston, then with Tammi Terrell with whom Gaye became very close. A health incident with Terrell deeply affected Gaye and his outlook on music; after fainting in his arms on stage in 1967 she was diagnosed with a brain tumor which effectively ended all live performances for them. Gaye moved on with his “In the Groove/Heard it Through The Grapevine!” album in 1968, which features the song that will reverberate throughout the decades to come, ‘Heard it Through The Grapevine’; it reached number one on two charts in the U.S. and one in the U.K making it an international sensation. This did not satisfy a broken Gaye who was still rattled up over Terrell’s health and felt unfulfilled and empty despite this unrivalled success. The album was re-released after the hit single success and it reached number two on the R&B albums’ chart. Gaye made

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a few covers after that, which hit the charts again in 1969 before releasing his best-selling album to date, “M.P.G”, that same year which was described by critics as “outstanding” and “infectious” to listen to. He added two more hits and a cooperation with The Originals to his resume. April 1st 1984; April Fool’s Day: Gaye’s No Mo’! Terrell’s death in 1970 shook Gaye to his core and he abstained from all musical activity. He resumed 3 months later

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after revising a song presented to him by Renaldo Benson. He also thought that ‘What’s Going On’ would also suit The Originals more than him but his co-writer convinced him otherwise. Good call. But Motown CEO Gordy felt it was too politically charged and declined it; Gaye responded by going on creative strike until the song was released, which it did in 1971. Good game! The hit single led to another successful album later that year, “What’s Going On” and two years later “Let’s Get It On”. He starts to tour for the next two years and records a live album “Marvin

Gaye Live!” Info Alert! There was a period of time when he was leaving with a paycheck for almost US$48 thousand (in current terms) per night!! The philanthropist in him played a UNESCO benefit show to combat illiteracy in Africa. He was commended by the United Nations as he sensitized many people to donate for the cause, by raising awareness. His tour goes European, and releases “Here, My Dear” (1978) but it his 15th album didn’t really cut it - this happening at the same time as divorce procedures, an increasingly alarming cocaine addiction and back dating tax debt. The next album which was born out of reforming Love Man, “In Our Lifetime?” (1981), had religious influences but Gaye cuts all ties with Motown after he claimed that they had generously edited it without his consent. He exiled himself to Belgium in retreat to regain his confidence and faith where he attended church, exercised and stayed off heavy drugs. “Midnight Love” (1982) was Gaye phoenix album with a the longest living hit to date ‘Sexual Healing’ also reaching top ranking positions in charts worldwide. He wins two Grammy Awards in 1983 and performs the US national anthem at an NBA game in California. He did a Sexual Healing Tour

that lasted 4 months and gave ‘Sexual Healing’ a new Grammy nomination; but his recurring coke addiction resulted in him crashing at his parents’ house in LA. Bad, BAD Call!!! It didn’t take too long after he returned to Psycho Papa Bear’s den before the psychopath Reverend took his Marvin Jr.’s life with two shots to the chest. In cold blood, while sitting next to his mother, in bed, 1 day before turning 45 years old. What a phony exemplary of the man of the cloth was this, this apparent emissary of God who would shoot his flesh and blood without a second thought. Marvin Gaye was survived by his 3 children, and 5 siblings and of course his parents. Gay never paid the piper for what he did; he tip-toed over the deserved judicial price by choosing the coward’s way out and pleading no contest and getting probation for this atrocity against family, against music, against nature! He lived out his counted days before finally dying of pneumonia in 1989. Justice failed to avenge Gaye but Gaye took his revenge on Gay by becoming immortal through his music. Gay killed the boy he chose to never love, but he couldn’t kill what he stood for.

would you kill for a photo? www.argophotography.com

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London Grammar A new star is rising! By Alexis Seitanidis

First time I came across London Grammar I remember it was a little bit misleading. I thought to myself, is this some Florence and the Machine song I havent heard before? Then I reached for my cell phone to find out only having Shazam proving me all wrong. I remember I had this mixed feeling of excitement and surprise at the same time because I was never a big fan of that particular sound, but my opinion took a drastic turn some years ago when I heard the album Ceremonials by Florence and the Machine. I ain’t saying London Grammar is some sort of copy cat, but you have to admit Hannah Reid’s voice sounds a lot like Florence Welsh. But all resemblance aside, what made it even more interesting was that it had a BURST www.afternoiz.com

bit of an XX sound to it that intrigued me. In other words its not only a matter of vocals because since their formation back in 2011 in the city of Nottingham the trio has been writing the exact perfect blend of soothing electronica and pop music to accompany Reid’s unique vocal skills. It’s more or less the kind of music you just want to lay back and let it flow. The band’s first big break came in 2012 when they were still just another unknown band trying to be heard and noone could even find pictures of them online. Their single “Hey Now” became a massive Internet success receiving countless clicks, not only within the UK but around the whole world. One year later London Grammar released their first EP called Metal and Dust in their own

record label which came into life under the same name as the EP, earning them a couple of singles that did pretty good in the charts plus a collaboration with the band Disclosure, a very succesfull duo in the UK. In September of 2013 they released their first full studio album titled “If you Wait” which was deemed a commercial success especially in the European charts. Their songs “Strong” and “Wasting my young years” are the most popular and well received up to this day. According to some, what makes London Grammar’s music so likeable is their ability to create melodies that are catchy but have a very distinctive feeling surrounding them and the reason behind that is mainly the fact that the inspiration behind Hanna Reid’s lyrics is drawn by a different situations such

as inner emotional battles, a feeling of sadness and hope which are then pieced perfectly together with the music that Dot Major and Dan Rothman provide each in his own part respectfully. Those two, having diverse musical influences makes the end result interesting as experimentation and improvisation have always been a part of the composing process as both of them have admitted in various interviews the band has given. So now that they have not only established a sound of their own but also a huge fan base we can only sit back and impatiently wait for their next venture which despite the fact that they have the set the bar really high on themselves, I hope will be even better than what they have given us to this day.

WordsOf Wisdom by Karolina Pacan

Steve Lousvet asked Karolina: When are you coming back to the UK? Answer: Hello Steve, With the band we hope to come back as soon as possible. We loved the gig we had in Birmingham! So kind and lovely people are there!

CEnsored

But I hope that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to get myself there for a few days too, to discover more about the country of Faery legends. England is very rich in such things.

www.argophotography.com

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The Legendary

Christopher

Lee

on BURST

By P. Tsoutsis

Sir Christopher Lee is not just an actor. He’s a living legend. At the age of 92 and with an acting career spanning in seven decades, his acting resume is really impressive. He has participated in countless movies and TV shows, with a huge variety in roles and genres. His collaborations include some of the biggest film makers in Hollywood, like Peter Jackson, Tim Burton and George Lucas, and he has been part of some of the biggest movie franchises of all times, like Star Wars, The Lord Of The Rings and most recently The Hobbit movies.

Of Fire albums at first, but later on he started singing in his own project, the Charlemagne. He has already released two full albums and three EPs, and he has received the “Spirit of Metal” award at the 2010’s Golden Gods awards.

BURST magazine had the honor to interview this great man. He talks about his early career, the Hammer movies and the recognition that came afterwards, The Wicker Man and Jinnah and why he considers them the best performances of his career, his occupation with music, his future plans, As if all these weren’t enough, in the and more. last few years he began his singing career. With narratives on Rhapsody Enjoy. BURST www.afternoiz.com

Photo: Sir Christopherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Private Collection BURST www.afternoiz.com

20 Acting Career

Singing Career

Sir Christopher Lee was born on May 27, 1922 in Belgravia, London and he began his acting career shortly after World War II. During the war he served in RAF intelligence, and he also participated in joint missions along the US SAS, but little is known from that period because of the classified content of these missions.

Christopher Lee may have started his solo career in music recently, but he has never been stranger to music, as he has participated in many soundtracks of the movies that he’s played, like 1973’s The Wicker Man movie, or The Lord Of The Rings.

Lee’s first appearance on the big screen was in 1947 in the movie Corridor of Mirrors, as well as on an uncredited role in Hamlet with Laurence Olivier. He kept playing in minor or even uncredited roles until 1957, when he participated for the first time in the Hammer movie The Curse Of Frankenstein. The specific film marked a long relationship with Hammer Film Productions where he played many roles such as Count Dracula and Fu Manchu. In many of these movies he played along with another cult figure of the Hammer movies, Peter Cushing. He continued participating in horror movies, but at the same moment he started playing in more commercial ones, like The Three Musketeers (1973), or the James Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun (1974). After almost 20 years playing various roles in Hammer movies, and fearing that he would be typecast with the horror genre, he decided to move to the United States in 1977. At the age of 55 he began a second career in Hollywood, working with some of its biggest directors and producers, like Stephen Spielberg in 1941 (1979) and Gremlins 2 (1990), Tim Burton in Sleepy Hollow (1999), Alice In Wonderland (2010) and Dark Shadows (2012), Martin Scorsese in Hugo (2011), George Lucas in the prequel Star Wars trilogy, and Peter Jackson in The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies as Saruman. Although he has appeared in a few hundred movies and TV shows over the years, playing a huge variety of character, he still considers the roles in The Wicker Man (1973) and Jinnah (1998) as the best performances in his career. In the first movie he played in the role of Lord Summerisle, the head of a Celtic pagan cult, while in the second he portrayed Jinnah, the founder of the Pakistan nation.

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In 2004 he made a guest appearance in Rhapsody’s album “Symphony of Enchanted Lands II – The Dark Secret” in which he performed as narrator, as well as a guest singer in the song “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream”. Lee has appeared in all subsequent Rhapsody albums (now the band is under the name Rhapsody Of Fire) up until 2011’s “From Chaos to Eternity”, in the role of Lothen, the Wizard King. He also appeared in Manowar’s re-recording of their classic album “Battle Hymns” in 2010, narrating in the song “Dark Avenger”, the same parts that Orson Wells did back in 1982. In 2006 he released his first solo album, containing covers of classic songs like “I, Don Quixote”, “My Way” and “Silent Night”. The same album also contains a heavy metal mix of the song “The Toreador March” taken from the opera Carmen. The specific song marked his first attempt to enter Heavy Metal music as a solo artist. His first full-length metal album was released in 2010, titled “Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross”. It’s a mixture of power and symphonic metal, and it tells the story of the Roman Emperor Charlemagne. The album was critically acclaimed and won the “Spirit of Metal” award in 2010’s Golden God awards which were organized by the British edition of Metal Hammer. The award was presented to him by Tony Iommi. The follow up album was released in 2013 under the title “Charlemagne: The Omens of Death”. The sound of the album is more heavy metal and less symphonic than the previous one, while the arrangement of the music was made by Richie Faulkner, guitar player of Judas Priest. His latest release is 2014’s “Metal Knight”, an EP containing some metal re-recordings of songs he has performed in the past, like “I, Don Quixote” and “The Toreador March”.

The Interview Film

You started you career in the late 40’s. How difficult was it back then to get established in the movie industry? Was it more difficult than it is nowadays? I can’t answer that question with certainty, because I am not in the shoes of someone starting today. But what I can say is that when I started, I had spent the first ten years of my career learning to act. I did so by playing minor parts in movies that had major stars in them. I would watch them carefully in order to learn. So it was not easy for me to get established. You also have to take into consideration that being a good actor is a very small part of success. You also need a lot of perseverance and a great deal of luck. In the 50’s and the 60’s you played, along with Peter Cushing, in many Hammer movies portraying the character of Dracula. What do you remember from that period. Weren’t you afraid of being typecast with this particular role? It was a very happy time for me, because it felt like I was working with a great big family. I was very good friends with many of the technicians and the actors, of course my friendship with Peter Cushing remained until he sadly passed away. I miss him very much. He was my best friend and we used to laugh a lot together. It goes without saying that I was afraid of being typecast and I had to work very hard at starring in other roles. I believe that I am the only (for lack of a better definition) “horror star” that managed to escape typecasting. A great majority of the

movies is filmed nowadays using computer generated images. Do you believe that the filming procedure was more “romantic” back then. Yes of course, but it was also easier because you had a reference to work with. As you know, I have done a lot of green screen work and it is much harder and it requires a great deal of imagination. With the Hammer movies you were already established in the horror/ fantasy genre. Which movie do you consider, was the one that made you known to the general public? The Curse of Frankenstein and then Horror of Dracula. In many past interviews you have said that you consider your roles in the movies “The Wicker Man” and “Jinnah” among the best performances of your career. What is this thing that makes these roles so unique? In the case of the Wicker Man it was the best movie that I have ever been in. The part was especially written for me. The movie had everything, a great script, impeccable acting and in particular, Edward Woodward who was totally outstanding. The music, the atmosphere, and the unexpected ending. Today, it is considered to be the “Citizen Kane” of horror movies. Jinnah is the best performance that I have ever given and the role which carried the greatest responsibility. I had to go to Pakistan and play the historical character, who was the Founding Father of the country. This was in front of his own people, many of whom have known him. It was also very emotional for me, people were

holding my hand and pulling me out of the carriage, because they thought I was Jinnah, that he had come back. After six decades and countless of roles, is there any character left that you wanted to play but never had the chance? Is there any genre you never had the chance to participate? Yes, I always wanted to portray the character of Don Quixote in movie and also Ivan the Terrible. The first I was able to perform in music. I have participated in every single genre, including an adult movie. I was unaware at the time the kind of movie that I was doing because I had only been asked to narrate, but as soon as I left the set, people started to take their clothes off and do all sorts of things. The last few years you played in many Tim Burton’s movies along with Jonny Depp. What do you remember from this collaboration? Both Tim and Johnny are very good friends and it’s always a very enjoyable experience and a priviledge to worth with them. They are two of the true greats. You have also been part of movies created by Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Peter Jackson etc. What is more important for the success of a movie, a good script or a good director? A good director can only make a great movie if he has a good script. The script is the most important element. Apart from the third part of “The Hobbit” movie, do you have any plans to play in movies or a television show at the moment? BURST www.afternoiz.com

22 Are you familiar with the music of other bands? I am friends with several metal bands and in many cases have worked with them. For example, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Ritchie Faulkener (Judas Priest), Frank Zappa and Alice Cooper. I receive constant offers from wellknown metal bands to do collaborations. So yes, I am both familiar with the music and the general scene. Have you thought of making covers of songs from Heavy Metal bands? No. And the reason being is that I want to do things that are different. I would do original songs or I would take covers from other genres and give them my own metal interpretation. In 2010 you received the “Spirit Of Metal” award at the Golden Gods ceremony. How did you feel about this honor, since you had released only one metal album at the time?

There are a couple of projects in the pipeline, but due to confidentiality agreements, I am unable to talk about them. Things change very quickly in this profession. Your future plans in your film career? It’s a question that I cannot answer, because I need to be offered scripts in order to evaluate if it is something that I would want to do or not, but I hope to keep working.

Music A few days ago you released the “Metal Knight” EP, in which you sing BURST www.afternoiz.com

some classic themes. Tell us a few things about this release.

ics in your albums? How do you pick the musicians that accompany you?

It has two songs from the musical “Man of La Mancha”, ‘I, Don Quixote” and “The Impossible Dream”. I sing the part of Don Quixote, a country squire who turns into knight errant. Also included is my own version of “My Way”, which was made famous by Frank Sinatra. And finally, I interpret Escamillo in the song of “The Toreador” from the opera “Carmen” by Bizet. These are all metal arrangements.

It depends. If the songs are original I give my input in the story and the portrayal of the character, but the writing and composition is done by someone else. If these are cover songs, I get to choose them.

What’s your participation in the writing procedure of the music and the lyr-

It is the producers who pick the writers and musicians. My participation is that of a singer only. You have already worked with Heavy Metal bands like Rhapsody and Manowar, but what’s your relationship with the rest of the Heavy Metal scene?

It was totally unexpected, but it was a great honour for me. I had a great time at the award ceremony and if I am honest, I cannot remember having had so much fun in a single day. The fans and the atmosphere was something that I have never experienced before. I felt as someone who had been absent for a very long time and had just returned home. At the age of 92 you are considered the oldest performer in Heavy Metal. What’s your secret in keeping your voice in such an excellent health at this age? I sing every morning in the shower and I do voice exercises to keep my vocal chords in shape. A new generation of (mostly young) people get to know you through your albums. What do you have to say to these people who are listening to your music?

23 If you have a dream, your must pursue it. Do not let anyone tell you what or what you cannot do and remember, it’s never too late.

General Among the many languages, I’ve read that you know ancient Greek. Which ancient Greek texts have you read? The works of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, Plato, Socrates and Aristotle, who had a great influence in Western society and which are relevant even today.

“I have participated in every single genre, including an adult movie. I was unaware at the time the kind of movie that I was doing because I had only been asked to narrate, but as soon as I left the set, people started to take their clothes off and do all sorts of things.” row morning to the Swedish Opera House and sing”. I said “but Mr. Bjorling, I am not trained”. He said “It doesn’t matter, I want to hear the sound of your voice”.

I went back to London and eventually, I became an actor.

After the audition, he agreed to train me as an opera singer but unfortunately, I did not have the money to live and study opera in Stockholm, so

It humbles me to know that not only people are able to enjoy the work that I have done, but also to have been able to keep working and being rel-

How do you feel that almost 4 generation of people enjoy your work?

evant all these years. It has not been easy because in each decade I have had to reinvent myself in order to keep up with the times.

Over the course of your career you have received many awards and honors. Which is the one that you felt most honored? The World Actor Lifetime Achievement Award which was presented to me by President Mikhail Gorbachev at the World Awards. The reason being it was given to me by the man who was responsible for peace in the Western World. The second most important award for me was the Spirit of Hammer award at the Golden Gods. This is because it was awarded not just for the work in my album Charlemagne: “By the Sword and the Cross”, but for my contributions to the metal genre through movie themes. If you hadn’t followed acting, what else would you be doing? I would have been an opera singer. In the 1940’s I was in Stockholm. I went out with some friends and after a few drinks we started singing. Afterwards a man came up to me and said “You have a voice, what are you doing about it?” I instantly recognized this man. His name was Jussi Bjorling, a very famous Swedish tenor known as “the Caruso of the North”. So, explained that I was trying to become an actor. He said “forget about that, you have a voice! Come tomorBURST www.afternoiz.com

Giving life to your instincts... www.argophotography.com BURST www.afternoiz.com

To Venus and Back Fall - Winter 2014

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Interview by Spiros Smyrnis BURST www.afternoiz.com

27 Ladies and Gentlemen Meden Agan are: (bio and members) The current line-up of Meden Agan is: Maya (Lead Vocals), Dimitris “Diman” (Guitars), Tolis (Keyboards), Aris (Bass and male vocals) and Panos (Drums). With the exception of Maya, this is the same line-up that recorded our previous album “Erevos Aenaon” back in 2011. Date of Birth (of Meden Agan)? Meden Agan date back to 2005 when I originally formed the band with French musicians while studying in Paris. Upon my return in Greece we recorded “Illusions”, an album with male vocals playing epic/progressive metal. The story of the band as part of the symphonic female-fronted genre starts in 2008 when the lineup of “Erevos” was set up for the very first time. Which are the biggest influences in your music? This is hard to say since there is a great mixture of influences and personal favorites in our music. Every member brings in its own musical taste and ideas which we try to incorporate in our music in the best way possible. We certainly love many bands of our genre such as Nightwish, Epica, Within temptation etc, but we try not to sound like them and create instead our own personal sound. You’ve had some line-up changes recently. Can you say now that you have the right men/woman for the job? I wouldn’t say “recently” since we parted ways with our previous singer, Iliana, early 2013. During that year we focused on composing the material for the new album and looking for a new singer. After several months of intense auditions we welcomed Maya to the band on June

last year and started finalizing the songs. We are very happy with our decision, not only because she is a very good singer, but she also fits perfectly with the rest of the members in terms of personality and goals. Do you think that line up changes could be refreshing for the bands or not? Generally speaking yes but for us I believe this is not the case, at least to a great extent. We never felt tired or lack of ideas thus needing a “refreshing” touch, we just had to find a replacement for the role of lead singer. Your brand new album, has the name Lacrima Dei. More info about the music style and lyrics of it! “Lacrima Dei” could be described as a symphonic/melodic metal album with progressive elements. There is great variety regarding the songs since we didn’t have a certain plan while composing the material like “let’s try to make them sound like this etc”. In comparison to “Erevos Aenaon”, our previous album, we are moving away from the - wrongly interpreted by some people - “gothic” style of the band adopting a more modern approach. The lyrics in the new album are dealing with human existence and describe several aspects of it like the loss of beloved ones (“Loss”), they explore the journey of the soul after death (“Web of shadows”), inner struggles (“Everlasting pain”) etc. This is not officially a concept album although the lyrics are focused in a specific direction. This was not done intentionally.

mis studios by Mark Adrian (Bob Katsionis, Elysion etc). We really love the way Mark works and the overall result he delivers. Despite the extra expenses we decided to do the mastering abroad and more specifically at the infamous Finnvox studios in Finland where we had the pleasure to work with Mika Jussila (Nightwish, Stratovarius, Children of bodom). We believe the overall result production-wise is very good and gives credit to our songs. Finally, the overall artwork of the album is the result of Manthos from Manster Design. You have 30 words to present us “Lacrima Dei”. Use them wisely! “Lacrima Dei” is the result of hard work during a whole year. It contains 10 songs of symphonic/melodic metal which we hope people will like and listen to again and again. You have signed with No Regrets about the release of your new album. How is your co-operation so far? The release date is only a few days away and so far the whole co-operation is great. There is active interest in the

band, nice planning, realistic goals and a mindset that you don’t find easily in labels nowadays. Although “No Regrets” is relatively new having only a handful of releases at the moment, the people behind it are the people of “No Remorse records” a label with many international releases and great experience. Do you believe that a Greek label will help you more than a foreign one? Is this the choice you made right? When the album was recorded we got in touch with several labels both in Greece and abroad and most of them were highly interested in the material, something that made us really happy. We, as a band, were trying to find a label that would promote the album in the best way possible without taking advantage of us in terms of rights, sales etc. We chose “No Regrets” not because it is Greek, but because it fits the profile we were looking for. There are several labels abroad that may sound “better” but have only a few releases in their portfolio, set unrealistic demands for signing the bands and promise more than they can deliver. This is something that every band has to take into account when look-

The men behind your new album! Mixing, mastering, production, artwork. Recording and mixing was done once again at ARTeBURST www.afternoiz.com

28 ing for a contract! Which is the biggest obstacle in the way of a Greek-comer band in order to release an album? An easy question to answer nowadays…money! No matter how talented or how good you are, the bottom line is that you have to record your material in order to make it publicly available. And this is just the beginning; it has to have a certain quality both in terms of production and overall artwork in order to make it stand as equally as possible among other international releases. And then of course comes the promotion part of the equation where you have to invest money into advertising, video clip, some shows abroad etc. Unfortunately, all these things are valid not only for Greek bands.

still trying to make the band known to a broader audience and we hope this may happen with our new album. If I really had to choose, I would say that the participation in the Female Metal Voices Fest in Belgium in 2012 was our stand-out live so far. Any upcoming gigs you wanna share with us? Which are your tour plans?

There are several plans from October onwards but they are not confirmed yet so unfortunately I cannot get into more details. If you have the chance to change one thing on Lacrima Dei what that would be? Nothing! This is not because everything was perfectly done in the album but be-

cause we don’t want to look back. ”Lacrima Dei” represents the best result the band could deliver at this point in time. We all learn by our mistakes, we evolve as musicians day by day and we try new things musically so I wouldn’t change anything, instead I would try to bring all these lessons learned into our next album. This is the meaning of improvement and evolution after all!

In our case, the mentality of the band is such that we decided not to seek money from fund-raising campaigns but to finance the album on our own knowing beforehand all the sacrifices this decision demands. The moment of Glory for Meden Agan so far! I don’t think there is a moment of glory yet. We are

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Waste no time and grab your copy of ‘Lacrima Dei’

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Meet& GREET

Audrey Horne By Spiros Smyrnis

Ladies and Gentlemen Audrey Horne are: (bio and members) Toschie-vocal Ice Dale-guitar Thomas Tofthagen-guitar Espen Lien-bass Kjetil Greve_drums We have released 5 albums: No Hay Banda (2005) a damn good debut, that was a bit dark, and had a little progressive touch. Le Fol (2007) a self produced and probably our rawest album. Audrey Horne (2010) recorded in USA, and the album where we started moving towards a more classic rock sound. Youngblood (2013) full on classic rock, and a very raw live in studio recording with very little overdubs.

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Pure Heavy (2014) more of the same, but better and bigger. Date of Birth (of Audrey Horne)? We were born sometime during the year 2002. (Parents unknown). Personal Heroes? We have many heroes but the big four stand out: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons ( although he is pushing it a bit too much these days), Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. The name story? We took our name from a character in the TV show “Twin Peaks”, written by David Lynch. We did so after the guys in the band expressed their love for the name of my (Toschie)’s former band: Sylvia Wane. It was a fiction woman’s name, and they liked the idea of that as a band name, as you do not quite know what to expect of that. At the time Ice Dale was into Twin Peaks, and he came up with the idea. We felt it was suiting and so we became Audrey Horne.

happy to receive such kind words on our music. It is truly inspiring for us. Having said that, we always write music to please ourselves most of all, so that other people appreciate it too is a huge bonus. The men behind your new album! Mixing , mastering, production, artwork.

and you can easily promote it yourself online. I guess covering the costs of recording and touring is the hardest part at first, but if you work hard and have something people will like, then you will get there in the end. Crowdfunding is a good alternative these days if you have good friends and a loyal fan base.

It was recorded, engineered and produced by Sir Duperman (Jörgen Traeen) and The Sun King (Iver Sandöy), Duperman mixed it, and The Sun King mastered it in the end. The artwork was done by a good friend and artist: Asle Birkeland. We just wrote the songs and played them.

The moment of Glory for Audrey Horne so far!

You have 30 words to present “Pure Heavy ” to us. Use them wisely!

We are touring Norway at the moment, and will head out on a European headlining tour starting on the 26th of November. Over new year we will plan a second tour.

Hard rock for people who like to drink beer and Underberg and enjoy every second of every Saturday night; who like to drive cars with this album on full volume speakers!

The feedback of “Pure Heavy ” release so far…

Which is the biggest obstacle in the way of a newcomer band in order to release an album?

It has been really good. we have always received good reviews on our albums, with some exceptions, but we are always

I guess money is the biggest obstacle. It costs money no matter how you look at it. The songwriting should not be an issue,

Looking back there are so many moments of glory, but receiving a grammy and supporting AC/ DC are way up there. On the road to hell! (Upcoming gigs and tour plans?)

Which band would you like to play at your funeral? Lynyrd Skynyrd doing “Free bird” Which is your favorite David Lynch film and why? Mulholland Drive. See it and you will know why!

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Meden Agan Lacrima Dei

Meden Agan is a well known female fronted metal band, who has shared stage with artists like Tarja, Epica or Pain of Salvation. Their music can be characterized as symphonic metal, with songs which sometimes reach out the power metal genre. ‘Lacrima Dei’ is the band’s third full-length record so far, a record which the band promotes as its peak of inspiration. Numerous of melodies and riffs are blended together so as to offer an outcome, which I personally find out as a bit overwhelmed, but inspiring and passionate as well. Sharp guitars dance along with operatic vocals or growl ones in a few songs, like in ‘Portal of Fear’ for example were the two kinds of vocals take act together. Many guitar and keyboard solos take over in the songs, influenced by progressive metal bands which have embraced the symphonic genre as well. Most of the songs are powerful and explosive. On the other hand, ballads and softer songs do not miss out from the record. ‘Loss’ is a softer one, for example, and Maya’s voice amazes us in this one. The record’s minus point is the fact that in many points the music gets overwhelmed. Many riffs, vocals, solos, all together in one, something that in a few points loses its potentiality and significance. Many bands tend to create music equivalent to this style, in a genre which needs a fresh start-up. Besides that, ‘Lacrima Dei’ is a dignified and decent effort from Meden Agan to establish the band in the female-fronted scene of metal music.

Get your copy today!

Kostas Tsotsanis Photo by Danny Clinch BURST www.afternoiz.com

Enemy of Reality

The Tea Party

Saigon Blue Rain

Enemy of Reality kick-started their career with a blast and quickly became famous in Greece and outside Greece with ‘Rejected Gods’. The band came together to create melodic symphonic music, with operatic vocals by the soprano Iliana Tsakiraki, inspired by classical music as well as progressive and symphonic metal. The record contains eleven songs, with four of them to be considered as sequences, based on an ancient Greek myth, regarding Orpheus and Eurydice.

The Tea Party has been producing innovative and special prog rock records almost for two decades, with a long break of ten years haunting the band until their reunion last year. The product of the reunion of these great musicians was ‘The Ocean at the End’ and the band’s effort to get in the surface of rock industry once again, in the throne the band was sitting about fifteen years ago.

Saigon Blue Rain is actually the French duo Stupid Bitch Project, who has recently added two more members in their lineup and have changed their name. The band became wellknown in their local scene due to the release of their first EP and now they have released their debut record, ‘What I Don’t See’. For those who aren’t familiar with Saigon Blue Rain, the band is an ethereal rock/ coldwave one, creating inspiring music, influenced by gothic rock.

Rejected Gods

Keyboards, melodies and delightful vocals are characterizing the band’s music, with complex guitar patterns which label the band as a progressive metal one. Each track of the record presents its own story, its own significance; stories narrated by music notes and beautiful vocals. In a few points the keyboards tended to ‘smooth’ the track a bit more than the expected, but this happened only in a few songs, such as ‘Needle Bites’. ‘Rejected Gods’ often reminds of a broken piece out of neo-classical music, bonding perfectly opera, metal and symphonies. The record stands up for all those genres of music and becomes actually a pact of real musicians, professional musicians. Along with the music, a nice production created the sound which would best give prominence to the numerous of riffs and melodies within each track. The record is for sure a memorable one and an awesome start for Enemy of Reality. A complex, artistic view of mythology and grief, passionate and polished as well. Kostas Tsotsanis

The Ocean at the End

The Tea Party was always famous about the mixture of eastern music elements along with progressive rock. The band always seeks methods and sounds so as to sound unique as well as majestic and compelling. Their latest record on the other hand, cannot be described as an experimental one, with the band trying a ‘safe’ return for ‘The Ocean at the End’. However, the record is still a lovely one, a collection of dreamy rock songs. Jeff Martin’s voice is preserved, as in the past and his melodic influence is obvious on the songwriting section, creating ballads and emotional songs; without the heavier ones being erased from ‘The Ocean at the End’ (for instance ‘The L.O.C’). Through the band’s amazing work, wisdom and dreams arise to wrap and surrender the listener. Unfortunately, the record does not reach the high expectations due to the number of filler and weaker songs included and the lack of something surprising and uprising. Maybe the shadows of ‘Transmission’ and ‘Edges of Twilight’ will always haunt every release by The Tea Party. The Ocean at the End is delightful and a must-have record, but do not seek a master-piece- another monument from the band. Just a ‘colorful’, emotional and pleasant record. Kostas Tsotsanis

What I Don’t See

The record is a total of ethereal songs, relaxing and refreshing, with gothic rock guitars and minimal philosophy behind its one. The band uses keyboards and the guitars as the background where Ophelia’s beautiful vocals will be expanded. Her voice is appealing and marvelous and fits greatly with the minimal rhythm section. The melodies used in the song embrace the whole ethereal philosophy, being stripped out of bursts and complex patterns. Although the music is influenced by Gothic rock, someone should try hard to find similarities and ties with the specific music genre, which I actually notice within the sound of the record and within the guitars. In a matter of speaking, the music Saigon Blue Rain creates is fresh, because we usually don’t hear so well-prepared music in the specific genre, only in a few exceptions exist. ‘What I Don’t See’ is a lovely example of a record to close your day and feel cozy with it. Minimal and ethereal, but not perfect as well, it offers dreamy melodies and lovely sounds. Kostas Tsotsanis BURST www.afternoiz.com

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OT It’sNall G reek to m e by Spiros Smyrnis

Semen of The Sun Those Pills

Do you dare?

It’s Not Greek to Me started as a way to express my admiration to Greek musicians and bands that covered the rock/ metal community! I have already written 35 articles and I am happy that I have material for hundreds more. This is the exact same introduction I used for “It’s Not Greek to Me” published on March 2014 trying to write about the new masterpiece of Need titled “Orvam, A song for home”. So I decided to keep this as an introduction to the upcoming “It’s Not Greek to Me” tributes. I am pretty sure that you know, it’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock n roll! Especially if you are a Greek rock n roll band! Semen of the Sun know that well. For those who may not know the band I have to say two things! First thing to say: Shame on you! Second thing to say: Take a look on a brief bio of the band. The band was formed in 2003 by a group of friends in Athens, Greece. The idea was to play heavy rock music and have fun. This idea remains the same. The first songs of the band were recorded in the end of 2003 and the song “confusion” takes part in the first compilation of an independent label called “Spinalonga Records”. A couple of months later and after the band had played several gigs in clubs and festivals, S.O.T.S. get in the studio and with a new line up record a 7-track cd called “An old dog”. On March 2008 they release their debut album “Radio Adult - slow songs, cheese and wine” beloved and supported by Lab & Spinalonga records. On 2012 the band released the second Semen of The Sun album, under the name of “The Walk” just two years before their latest album, which we have the chance to listen few months ago. There must have been 4 or 5 if I won’t be mistaken and since then, Those Pills is on my stereo, my mp3, my computer so I can listen to it, each and every difficult time of mine. At the end of the day that’s exactly what I need from the music I love, that’s exactly what I need from desperate rock n roll like the one in “Those Pills”. Some people may say that Semen of The Sun are the Greeks Queens of the Stone Age, but I cannot follow them! Trust me, Semen of the Sun are not a Queens of the Stage Age replica! They were influenced by Josh Homme’s riffs as the whole alternative/ rock scene after 90s - but they are not afraid to mix up their sound with punk attitude and a small Foo Fighters essence. But man! Those riffs! They are so much better than those pills you have to shallow to get some rest, because rock n roll gonna keep you awake all night long. “Red Corvette”, “The Trip”& “Sweet Ignorance” are just three of the reasons you have to listen to “Those Pills”. The other seven are on the record! Enjoy! BURST www.afternoiz.com

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Confessions of a Blockbuster Addict By Angie Rouska

TV Series Beginner’s Guide by P. Tsoutsis

Worst Movies Ever By Kostas Krasonis

Also... Articles Movie reviews Director’s Cut Interviews

Photo by Christian Wagner

For the BIG screen... and for smaller ones! BURST www.afternoiz.com

itchin’ arbara with

It’s our own fault. We brought this on ourselves, really. If you, like me, were disappointed with the Season 26 premiere of The Simpsons (I’m specifically talking about the character that was killed off in the said episode), you have absolutely no one to blame but yourself. And maybe the media.

by Barbara Pavone

Spoiler alert! If you have yet to watch the clip and don’t want to find out who got the boot, stop reading now. Otherwise, let me say that killing Rabbi Hyman Krustofski was a waste of film. Who is ‘Rabbi Hyman Krustofski’, you ask? Exactly.

The Simpsons’ Season 26 Premiere BURST www.afternoiz.com

Photo by Katherine Dydyk

Turns out he’s Krusty the Clown’s dad, which is great and all, except he’s by no means a major character. Krustofski had only appeared in six episodes of the show before he was pronounced dead earlier this month and remembering anything about him or what he’s done in seasons past is a hard task. Titled ‘Clown in the Dumps’, the episode was a serious letdown, if only because of all the build-up and hype that surrounded it. Talk of a beloved character’s life coming to an end – maybe even Homer’s! – swirled on the Internet and in the press for months and in the end, something we were sure was going to be exciting was barely memorable.

Let’s face it: Kristofski’s passing changes absolutely nothing in the world of The Simpsons. To be fair, executive producer Al Jean didn’t plan on the news getting so much attention and he tried to give fans a reality check before deciding to just go with the flow. During an interview with USA Today, he explained: “It was not designed to be a premiere or a promotable event. I was doing a phone interview and somebody said, ‘What’s coming up?’ and I thought instead of saying it directly, I’ll just say the actor (who voices the character) won an Emmy. And the next thing I knew, it was on the front pages in Uruguay and the sensation grew,” Jean says. “Well, once that happened, we said, ‘OK, let’s make a big deal of it.’” Jean also talked to the Hollywood Reporter about all the negative feedback the season premiere received, saying, “I love True Detective, but I was convinced that Woody Harrelson was going to be the Yellow King. I thought there were all these clues that they planted. So when it didn’t turn out to be him, I was disappointed. The one thing I wanted to do with this story is if people figure it out correctly, they shouldn’t be disappointed because there should be a very logical answer with the limited clues we pro-

vide.” OK, maybe he’s got a point. And we have to be fair and say that the biggest clue he dropped – the fact that it would be a character voiced by an actor who won an Emmy for their role – was indeed true. Krusty’s dad was voiced by Jackie Mason who did in fact win an Emmy for his work on the show. Amongst all the speculation that preceded the premiere, Krusty the Clown, Grandpa Simpson, Comic Book Guy and Moe became frontrunners in regards to who was going to leave Springfield and I think we can all agree that any of their deaths would have delivered actual shock value and made for a memorable episode. Can we all imagine for a second what Grandpa Simpson’s passing would have been like? Talk about kicking off the 26th season with a bang! There is a tiny bright side to this subpar plot twist, though. Rabbi Hyman Krustofski accomplished his mission by getting viewers to think about life, death and relationships when he ended his Simpsons existence by telling Krusty: “If you want to know my honest opinion of you, you’ve always been… eh.” At least there’s that, I guess. Eh.

To Venus and Back Fall - Winter 2014

#nikolaostsironis

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40 If reading this column is like mission impossible, then by the end of your reading pleasure, this page -or even your brain- will self-destruct in 5 seconds. This month COABA is dedicated to the man that everyone hates, apparently apart from me, while his movies make millions of dollars! There is no middle ground with Michael Bay, you either gonna love him or hate him. But one thing is undeniable, he knows about good explosions and good action. As hilarious as it may sound, I believe that Michael Bay is the Jose Mourinho of the blockbusters! I know that this nuclear statement just killed the majority of earth’s population, but whether you are resting in pieces or you share the same belief with me, let’s rejoice among many explosions, and I’ll tell you why he is one of a kind and how he has contributed to his haters’ frustration.

Confessions Of a blockbuster t c i d d A

by angie rouska

“4rth Blood” BURST www.afternoiz.com

Α skillful director can create a perfect film with the simplest script. But what happens when the script is stunning and the director cannot handle it? I think this is the time when you feel most annoyed because in the hands of another director we would be talking about a masterpiece. However, none of the above applies on Michael Bay’s case. You see Michael Bay is not a typical director. Actually he is not a director at all. He is something of his own. He is an entertainer, he knows how to please the crowd and if you can accept this then you will never ever complain about his movies. It’s a common fact that the scripts of Bad Boys, Armageddon, The Rock, Pearl Harbor, Transformers do

not have a great value. They are simple, with total lack of characters’ depth. But Bay knows exactly how to balance it. Great action sequences, spectacular effects, epic music and of course explosions. He is the only person in this world who can combine these attributes successfully while he does not need to have a superhero in his movie to justify this. He is the guy who can film an empty glass from the weirdest camera angle and dudes, almost quoting Martin Lawrence, this shit just gets real! Despite all of the bad reviews and critics his movies have earned, most of them were box office hits and most probably they will continue to be so (while haters gonna hate). Michael Bay has established his own stylistic signature and this fact cannot be altered. His movies have a specific identity which cannot be copied and for the time being no one seems to have tried to imitate him or follow his filming style. If auteurs exist in the “blockbuster industry” then Michael Bay is one of them. “Coming out of music videos and commercials, I learned how to shoot very quickly and also make something look good. One of my knacks is shooting for the edit, basically editing things in my mind”. In 5 4 3 2 1…

41 Ladies and Gentlemen Illusory are: (bio and members) all we need to know!!! Dee Theodorou – Vocals George Papantonis – Guitars Jon Moodrix – Guitars George Konstantakelos – Keys & Guitars Niki Danos – Bass Costas Koulis - Drums Biography ILLUSORY come from Athens, Greece. The band was originally founded in 1992 by two friends who used to jam on top of their building. Dee Theodorou and Costas Charalambidis decided to pursue what every teenager was dreaming of at the time, so they formed a band to play their beloved Heavy Metal sounds. First name that popped in was “Blessed Death”, which was dropped a bit later. “Ivory Tower”… that was more like it. Maybe way more like it! They started recruiting members and then the band began rehearsing and then found “shelter” in various studios in the area. The band’s hometown, Moschato Greece, is utterly well-known for the fine wine, basically produced ages ago but still haunting the name of the city. Thus, like good wine “in the process”, “Ivory Tower” was maturing nicely, obtaining a better taste by the day, the month, the year. Numerous line-up changes happened through the years. The band was rehearsing, composing and playing at various Rock clubs and bars in the Athenian area. Mostly covers and a couple of their own songs. Things were getting tougher and tougher as those believing in the band had to leave to serve their country (obligatory in Greece) and hiatus become a fact. However, since “What does not kill me makes me stronger”, when those people came back, it was back on the table with the band. Constant rehearsing, composing and live gigs again. Enthusiasm, tension, a lot of sweat in the middle and the first song bouquet is ready to be served. The band handled the whole issue as a collective, creating the album cover, arranging the sleeve, printing and packaging the promo-album. It was the year 2006 and “The Ivory Tower” saga was about to begin! They started selling their newborn in gigs, via mail and thru their website to those who had listened and wanted to listen some

more. Soon the band became an underground attraction and a fan-base shadow had appeared in the background. Line-up was an issue until then but luckily, with the addition of a few people believing in the band, the “Ivories” (members’ beloved nickname) became stronger and dared challenged their own fate. Comes June 2008, the sextet is opening for the legendary Blue Oyster Cult, at a fantastic open air venue in Athens. Gig was an absolute bliss, headliners did actually pay attention to the Greek youngsters and history began writing itself in a whole new chapter. A few months later the band was finding a place of their own… Their own studio, the “iCave”, their lil’ creation and implementation place/ refuge. The idea was to have a place to go to, be free of schedules and other peeps interfering and things not relative to them. The basic concept was to recreate a truly phenomenal story. To re-record their promo-album, to turn it into a fresh sounding, ultra-complete professional feature. They began recording, adding new ideas, painting a totally different landscape. Then, when the songs were recorded, the best possible way and their concept was ready for some serious mixing and mastering, the boys decided to send it to one of the most experienced teams in doing so. The valuable package was shipped to Germany, Mystic Studios and R.D. Liapakis & Christian Schmid. These two gents forged the songs and boosted them up, creating an album sound that was ready for the big market, attracting the labels and mostly the fans. The only problem was the name of the band. Some years ago the “Ivories” discovered there was a German band called “Ivory Tower”, thus it was going to be extra hard to continue with their name, should they wanted to pursue a professional edge to their musical way. Brainstorming led to the name “Illusory” which sounded the best solution at the time and still does. The band decided to name their debut “The Ivory Tower”, completely logical and consequential to their lives and works so far. Which is the biggest obstacle in the way of a newcomer band in order to release an album?

Truly, the biggest obstacle for a newcomer’s release is the cost of recording, mixing engineering etc. Especially in Greece, where the economic situation lately is far more difficult than it used to be. The feedback of “ The Ivory Tower” release so far… A year back, when we released the debut album, we wouldn’t expect that kind of feedback, especially for a concept album. Every review is far better than expected and that is what gives us the urge to create more music and hopefully better music…

amazing groups that it would take us days, even months, to decide. We have been listening to all these fantastic bands for years, seen almost all of them live, even travelled abroad to watch some of them perform. As you can easily imagine, we are simple Metal dudes, living their dream via lyrics and melodies, via albums and live gigs…

Tell us about the new album …What are we going to listen to? The men behind your new album! Mixing, mastering, production, artwork... The new album is currently being recorded at iCave Studios and the production will be done by the band and Yiannis Petrogiannis at Matrix Studios – where mixing and mastering will take place. You will have to wait a bit in order to listen to our new material… we believe that the sophomore album is more matured musically and it seems to lead us to a slightly different “path” than the previous album. A small hint is that in the forthcoming album we will have a small continuation of the UTOPIAN STORY… There is a song that follows up the story of Steven Towers, described by the band in the debut album. The moment of Glory ….so far! There are many moments that we like to remember as “Moments of Glory”… the biggest two of them are the gig with the legendary BLUE OYSTER CULT back in June 2008 and of course the release of our debut album on May 14, 2013! On the road to hell! (Upcoming gigs and tour plans?) At the moment, we do not have any plans for gigs due to recording sessions. On the other hand there are some discussions about appearances in the not so distant future! Which band would you like to play at your funeral? We do not intend to die! (laughs) Seriously, we love so many bands, we are actually fans of so many BURST www.afternoiz.com

By Angie Rouska

Chanel Ryan began her career as a model but it was acting that stole her heart. She is a well-known face in the horror filmsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; community while her roles in this genre have earned her the title of the Scream Queen. She has co-starred in many indie films and has cooperated with many names such as Vinnie Jones, Kevin Pollack, and recently she has completed her transition to producing films. Chanel is an animal lover, activist and a rescuer. But among these she is a kind person, grounded, who works hard to achieve her goals.

Photos by Ash Gupta

Recently we had the chance to interview her and find out more about herself and her future plans.

Meet

Chanel Ryan BURST www.afternoiz.com

43 Chanel, you started as a model and entered the film industry shortly after. How did you make your way there? Actually I always wanted to be an actress but living outside of Los Angeles didn’t know how to even go about starting in the industry. In the early years of my career I started to have success as a model. It was exciting to travel to exotic locations for work. At the time I didn’t want to and couldn’t afford to turn down a booking to stay in town hoping I might get a theatrical audition. I was very unfocused and worked sporadically as an actress if a job came my way, but I was not putting all my energy into following that dream. A couple years ago I felt it was time to switch my focus full time to my acting career. I made the decision to stay in town for auditions, go to acting class and get serious. I started booking small parts in independent films, which lead to supporting roles and then last year I booked lead roles in several indie films as well as supporting roles in studio films. Looking back at a career that started with a lead role in WAITING FOR THE ROCKET one thing is certain, that you have been working unstoppably meeting many actors and filmmakers. Which time you consider was the most exciting one that helped you on your next works? I have been very fortunate to work with some amazingly talented film makers and actors much more successful than myself. I love what I do, and every project I work on is a new adventure. Every time I work I learn and grow as an actress so each project has helped me move forward. Do you prefer working on a specific genre? I see a lot of horror films

there. Comedy is actually my first love! Lately I seem to go back and forth between comedic roles and horror films. Earlier this summer I filmed comedy MIND PUPPETS which has a great cast including Vinnie Jones and Kevin Pollack; and romantic comedy LOVE ADDICT. I am building a name for myself in the horror genre. It is nice to be embraced by a genre and to experience success in an area. Horror fans are the best! There is a huge market, and demand for films in the genre. They are the most fun to make! I guess it all started with HOBGOBLINS 2 when director Rick Sloane cast me as Fantazia. I have been very lucky and worked opposite some legendary actors, and horror icons. In BAD KIDS GO TO HELL I am opposite Judd Nelson; CIRCUS OF THE DEAD the amazing Bill Oberst Jr.; and I play Kane Hodder’s evil sidekick in ALICE D and have a fun scene with scream queen Devanny Pinn in DEAD SEA.

US TV is thriving. There are many successful TVseries that have boosted many actors’ careers. Would you like to have a role in a specific series? Do you consider the option of participating in a many-season TV-series or do you think that this will limit you working on feature films? Are you kidding!! I would love to be on a TV series. The industry is really changing and with that there are so many high quality TV shows on the air now. They are well written, beautifully shot, with phenomenal cast and directors. HEMLOCK GROVE, GAME OF THRONES, GIRLS, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, TRUE DETECTIVE, VIKINGS etc.. You are in development on a couple of films with

Mark Vadik. Is this your first attempt as a producer? You are now working on a film from a total different view. How is this different from acting? Did you face any obstacles? Are you thinking of stepping off from acting and start producing more movies? Yes, for a time Mark and I were actively trying to get a couple of films made. Getting into producing stemmed more from the need to create better roles for myself and higher quality projects. In the process I started to book bigger and better parts, and have been working on back to back projects with very little downtime. So the producing has taken a back seat. That being said if the money materialized tomorrow. I would put on my producer hat and make it happen! I am told I have the mind

Would you like to work with a specific actor/actress or director? If yes, have you made any contacts regarding any future project? You don’t have room in your magazine for the list of directors and actors I would love to work with! Some of my favorite directors are Tomas Alfredson, Judd Apatow, Tim Burton, William Friedken, Ken Kwapis, Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino. My favorite actresses are Eva Green and Leslie Mann. Yes I have a bunch of films in production and soon to be released. I am reprising my role in BAD KIDS GO TO HELL 2. Judd Nelson and Ben Browder will also be returning, along with a brand new cast which I am not allowed to discuss yet! Looks for the film next year in theaters. BURST www.afternoiz.com

“I think I am exactly where I am supposed to be! Sometimes I wish I would’ve focused full time on acting instead of jetting off around the world modeling. But ultimately all the choices I have made, and jobs I have done lead me to where I am today.”

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46 of a producer. I wish I was content to just show up on set, and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see a hundred ways to make the production better and elevate the film. I started out producing photo shoots for myself and it segwayed into videos and now features. For years I have produced photo shoots for myself (including the layout featured in this issue) and had success syndicating my images to magazines internationally, as well as producing my swimsuit calendars. This turned into producing for other clients including magazines, fashion designers, actors and models and publicity photos for films. It is a fun creative outlet for me and when my schedule allows I make the time. What about modeling? Will you continue following this path or your aspirations are devoted to the film industry? My focus is on my acting career. Modeling was very good to me. It took me all over the world. I made many good friends, traveled to exotic locations, and worked with interesting people. I still model occasionally if a job comes my way but I am not actively pursuing it. Do you have any regrets about the choices you have made? I mean, if given the chance, would you make things differently? I think I am exactly where I am supposed to be! Sometimes I wish I wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve focused full time on acting instead of jetting off around the world modeling. But ultimately all the choices I have made, and jobs I have done lead me to where I am today. Do you have any advice to give to all those newcomers in the film industry? BURST www.afternoiz.com

Run!! I guess remember it is a job which requires work. When you are self employed there are not enough hours in the day. At least until you book that big film or TV show! Anything else you would like to say? Well thanks for talking to me of course! I will give you the same speech I end every interview with. I am a huge animal lover and advocate for animal rights. If you own a pet please spay or neuter it. If you are thinking of getting a pet please look into adopting from your local shelter or animal rescue. There are so many wonderful animals in need or safe, loving homes. Be part of the solution and help end animal homelessness and abuse. There are a ton of wonderful animal organizations out there doing great work helping animals in need. A few of my favorites are Actors and Others for Animals, Best Friends Animal Society, Four Legged Friends Foundation, Stray Cat Alliance, Teen VGN, Models and Mutts and PETA.

You can find Chanel Ryan and follow her online: IMDB: www.imdb.com/name/ nm0752457 Website: www.chanelryan.com Instagram: instagram.com/therealchanelryan Twitter: twitter.com/ChanelRyan Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/ TheChanelRyan Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/ Chanel-Ryan/117559296634

BURST is against animal cruelty.

“Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well with others.” -César Chávez-

www.argophotography.com No animals were harmed in the making of this fur coat BURST www.afternoiz.com

Director’s Cut

Paul Thomas Anderson By Spiros smyrnis

Are you familiar with the auteur term in cinema? Borrowing from French auteur (“author”). Popularised by François Truffaut in the 1954 essay “Une certaine tendance du cinéma français” (“A certain tendency in French cinema”) in the influential film journal Cahiers du cinéma as the phrase “la politique des Auteurs”. Paul Thomas Anderson is probably one of the most interesting auteurs of our time. Born in 1970 Anderson is responsible for some of the best American films nowadays. “Boogie Nights”, “Magnolia”, “There will be Blood” “The Master” to name a few. His first film, “Hard Eight” was homage to his beloved noir films. The story in few lines: “Sydney (Philip Baker Hall), a gambler in his 60s, finds a young man, John (John C. Reilly), sitting forlornly outside a diner and BURST www.afternoiz.com

offers to give him a cigarette and buy him a cup of coffee. Two years later, John, having got the money for the funeral, has stayed in Reno and become Sydney’s protégé. John has a new friend named Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson) who does security work, and is attracted to Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress dating John. John and Clementine get married, but later Sydney gets a frantic late-night phone call. He arrives at a motel to find the newlyweds holding hostage a customer refusing to pay Clementine, who moonlights as a prostitute”. Philip Baker Hall gives an outstanding performance while Philip Seymour Hoffman made his premiere co-operation with his buddy that went on till “The Master” with the exception of “There Will Be Blood”. Boogie Nights was the first

Paul Thomas Anderson film I’ve ever seen in my life. It was a cold December night. Just another night I spent with my girl in a video store trying to find another film to blow us our mind up! Thank God Boogie Nights did it! We dived in the rise of American porn industry somewhere in mid 70s! We met Dirk Diggler ( Mark Wahlberg in his best film appearance) who had a big very big future in the industry but unfortunately his addictions didn’t help him to stay on foot. Many Hollywood stars like Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, Burt Reynolds, Heather Graham, Alfred Molina, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Baker Hall accompanied Walberg while the pornstar Nina Hartley had a cameo in the film and pornstar legend Ron Jeremy co-operated in the script with Anderson who draws an amazing of U.S.A in

70s! “In 1977, Eddie Adams is a high school dropout who lives with his father and alcoholic mother in Torrance, California. He works at a Los Angeles nightclub owned by Maurice Rodriguez, where he is discovered by porn director Jack Horner, who auditions him by watching him having sex with Rollergirl, a porn starlet who always wears skates. After agreeing to enter the world of pornography, he gives himself the screen name “Dirk Diggler”, and becomes a star because of his good looks, youthful charisma, and extraordinarily large penis.” You want more? Then you have to see the film suckers! On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius , an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an es-

49 tranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story. Through a collusion of coincidence, chance, human action, shared media, past history and divine intervention they will weave and warp through each other´s lives on a day that builds to an unforgettable climax. Some will seek forgiveness, others escape. Some will mend frayed bonds, others will be exposed. Magnolia is a mosaic of American life woven through a series of comic and poignant vignettes. It is a portrait of a lonely city sometimes called up short on love. It is a personal exploration of the hidden elements of crisis. It is a story about putting things right again. This is the story of Magnolia, the movie that made even me to understand that Tom Cruise is a real actor! “I was exhausted when the movie was coming out in New York and LA, but then I took a couple of weeks off for the holidays and I was able to kind of get my juice back, and think, okay, I can do phone calls and talk show things. I try and balance it out. I mean, I don’t want to be blabbermouth-young-white-directorguy, but I gotta help. You just don’t want to get a disgusting sheen on yourself.” Stated Anderson at Cynthia Fuchs (popmatters) “It feels like the sort of thing that comes out of men. Don’t they seem like the best vehicle for that kind of fucking regret? I mean, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.” The film shows costs as well as laments. The dead dog, for instance: Anderson says, “When I wrote it, I thought, what exactly is this saying? So I decided to leave it alone. And then, ironically enough, Something About Mary came out and there’s all that wacky, funny dead dog shit going on in that movie, which actually propelled me to not worry about it anymore and really do it for real. I felt some beautiful dead-dog power touching my shoulder, saying, ‘No, really. Just do it. You have some kind of weird reasons that are okay.’” One of the most poetic films that American Cinema gave us the

last 20 twenty years. “Punch- Drunk Love” is a strange love story starring Adam Sandler, yeah Adam Sandler! “I wrote it with Adam in mind. I wrote a little bit before I met him, cause you don’t want to start writing the movie and found out I didn’t like him or something like that or that he was not a very nice guy. So, I started writing and then went to meet him. We got on pretty well and just talked about making a picture together. I found him to be one of my favorite actors to work with. I’ve always liked him. We have a show called Saturday Night Live, I know you don’t have it here but everybody seems to know it, and he’s terrific and so I’ve been aware of him for a long time on television.” Anderson’s words in the press conference of the film in which, Barry Egan is a small business owner with seven sisters whose abuse has kept him alone and unable to fall in love. When a harmonium and a mysterious woman enter his life, his romantic journey begins. Elegant and sharp Punch-Drunk Love is the most underrated film of Paul Thomas Anderson that deserves our attention! Then we move in 2008 and Anderson’s magnum opus, There Will be Blood, where Daniel Day Lewis won another Oscar for his brilliant and unforgettable performance. “A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.” As the plot in Cigarettes and Red Vines blog (The ultimate Paul Thomas Anderson blog) implies this is a film that should make John Ford proud of his legacy. Then again, “The Master”, which is definitely the most well-discussed movie in his filmography “‘All of the above! You have to swat it away like a fly. It’s just that word – “Scientology” – that people applied to us. It makes people’s ears start to grow and little antennae come out of their

head and their eyes get wide. I was concerned that there was an expectation that the film would be something that it wasn’t. Once we did some early sneak screenings back in August, nobody was talking about Scientology; they were talking about the characters.’ But a couple days into the film, he was feeling more comfortable and just kept sliding into this skin, that he was doing these movements that were so incredible. I just didn’t want to jinx anything and say, ‘What are you doing?’ or ‘What’s going on?’ You’re in the middle of makebelieve — you don’t want to break the spell. You just want to watch him do whatever he’s doing. “ Anderson stated . A 1950s-set drama centered on the relationship between a charismatic intellectual known as “the Master” whose faith-based organization begins to catch on in America, and a young drifter who becomes his right-hand man. Joaquin Phoenix in the leading role plus Philip Seymour Hoffman made an imaginative duet while the photography is outstanding! “I have my own theories about it, because [Phoenix’s character] puts his hands on his hips — sort of stuff about his kidneys being torn up from the war. Maybe something happened. Maybe it’s just easier. Maybe it’s comfortable for him to reach back and hold his kidneys and help him stand. But then again, yeah, there’s always that thing — the way someone holds himself is an extension of what’s going [on] with them on the inside. And I buy that too, for sure.” I wanna thank Paul Thomas for the movies he’s made and I am pretty sure that his upcoming film, Inherent Vice will be The Big Lebwoski of our time! Repeat after me: I am a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist, a theoretical philosopher. But above all, I am a man, a hopelessly inquisitive man. Just like you BURST www.afternoiz.com

IEWS FILM REVIEWS FILM REVIEWS FILM REVIEWS FILM REVIEWS FILM

Boyhood (2014) By Eleni Lampraki

Director Richard Linklater has always fancied movies with a special timeline plot. After the “Before Sunrise” trilogy (in which he uses the same two actors, with a time gasp of nine years between each movie), he comes with a much more difficult and interesting project. “Boyhood” was filmed from May 2002 to October 2013, for several weeks each year, following the upbringing of the protagonists (Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater) from childhood to adulthood. Linklater collaborates once again with Ethan Hawke along with Patricia Arquette, with Ellar Coltrane and Lo-

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relei Linklater playing the parts of the two siblings growing-up. The film starts in 2002 with the 6-year old Mason Jr. and his older sister Samantha, living with their single mother Olivia in Texas. Their parents are divorced, and their father Mason, a non-comformist musician, is currently at Alaska, probably working and finding himself. Due to financial reasons, Olivia decides to move back to Houston and enroll to the University again, in order to finish her studies and take her bachelor. Mason and Samantha are reluctant in moving, afraid of losing their friends and wondering whether their father will be able to reach them again. Mason Sr. returns from Alaska and tries to build up his relationship with Mason and Samantha, but his differences with Olivia are still very vivid. About two years later, Olivia marries again her college professor Bill, but his strict lifestyle displeases Mason and thus his alcoholic and violent habits lead to the end of this marriage. The years pass, Mason and Samantha are in their teens, drinking beer and trying marijuana,

they have their first relationships, while Olivia tries once again to fix her life (which will end in a third divorce). At the same time Mason Sr. matures, marries again and has other children. The film stops in 2014, when Mason, a passionate photographer now, enters college and starts his adult life.

Autobots and a special unit has been formed that tracks down and kills every Transformer left in order to protect humanity and maintain peace in the planet. However, this unit has different plans as they are trying to find out where Optimus Prime is hiding.

Probably one of the greatest films of the year, it depicts a whole decade of a boy’s life (along with his family) and American life in a very realistic and accurate way. In the end, growing-up was never an easy thing to do.

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) By Angie Rouska

Age of Extinction is the fourth installment in the Transformers saga and the longest one - 2 hours and 45 minutes! Directed by Michael Bay, the film stars Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer and Jack Reynor. The movie takes place after the events of the second sequel, Dark of the Moon. The US Government is not collaborating any more with the

Michael Bay did again, a superb work with the special effects; he merged the robots so naturally with the background that you could not distinguish what was real and what was digital. Moreover, he presented a different way of transformation for the Decepticons, which was really spectacular. Bay has a thing of extend-

ing each installment in duration, showing more of the special effects and the action scenes, but in view of this he sacrifices much of the story by inputting many unnecessary subplots. The same thing happens with Age of Extinction. There are too many characters and too many plots that inevitably have their closure in the final battle. Unfortunately, this delays the action and for a Michael Bay movie this is unforgivable. While the first Transformers movie is balanced with coherent action that is escalating, the last one is so scattered just like the transformium metal we are introduced. Despite this, the movie is entertaining, hilarious at some points with humans being the comic relief. However, the 165 minutes for someone who is not a fan may seem long enough.

whatever would follow after watching a movie like this with a girl).

in order to describe this movie, but it would not be enough. Paradoxically it is not another silly, romantic story. It is smart. It is funny. It is fresh. And yes, boys and girls can watch it together (so boys can finally kiss or

Well Daniel Radcliffe will ALWAYS remind us “Harry Potter”, but since “Lady in Black” has proven himself of being an actor. You feel for him and sympathize him along the film. Zoe Kazan is sweet and many girls will identify themselves with her puzzled situation. I would prefer a different ending, but nevertheless, it is a good movie with a lot of catchy dialogues and funny moments. If you are not the romantic type, watch something else. If you are the sweetheart or just curious, be patient and catch it on a summer (or winter) movie theater.

What If (2013)

By Sophie Dermati What if you had a boyfriend and you accidentally meet your ideal half to a very good friend? It could be pretty much the basic thing to say,

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. A Beginner’s Guide By P. Tsoutsis

Marvel is well know for publishing comic books since the early 50’s, with these comic books focusing on superheroes. In 2008, Marvel entered a new era with the release of the first Iron Man movie. The specific movie, which was part of the so called Marvel Cinematic Universe, was followed by many others, like the two sequels of Iron Man (2010, 2013), the Thor movies (2011, 2013), the Captain America movies (2011, 2014), and The Avengers (2012) movie, which was a gathering of Marvel’s superheroes. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a TV show which first aired in September 2013, and it’s part of this universe. It’s about a fictional law enforcement agency which deals with artifacts from Marvel’s Universe, outlaw groups, and people with superpowers, with BURST www.afternoiz.com

its acronym standing for “Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division”.

a big airplane which transfers the group on various locations and has laboratories, living quarters and holding cells.

The show focuses in a small field group with Phil Coulson (portrayed by Clark Gregg) its leader, who returns after his supposed death in The Avengers (2012) (Clark Gregg also played the same character in Iron Man 1 & 2 and Thor). The rest of the group are Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) a black-ops specialist, Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) an ex-field agent who returns to active duty piloting the airplane/command centre, Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) the two lab specialists and Skye (Chloe Bennet) a civilian computer hacker who was recruited by Phil Coulson as an advisor. Their command centre is

While most of the episodes of the first season are self-enclosed, there is a storyline which develops throughout the season, about a secret organisation trying to find out the secret of agent Coulson’s “resurrection”, and use this knowledge in order to create super soldiers. Many actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe reprise their roles in the show, like Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother, The Avengers) who returns as Maria Hill for a small part in the pilot episode and the final episode of the season, and Jaimie Alexander (Thor), who also returns as Lady Sif. Samuel

L. Jackson makes two appearances as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Director Nick Fury, a character that he portrayed many times in the above mentioned movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Apart from the guest appearances from various Marvel’s characters, the show also makes two crossovers with Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) movies. The first crossover happened in the eighth episode with the group cleaning up the mess after the events of the movie, while the second one was slowly developing through the second half of the season. Executive producer of the show is Joss Whedon (Firefly, The Avengers) who co-wrote and directed the pilot episode. The second season is scheduled to premiere on September 23, 2014.

Comic-book Superheroes on TV Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t the only TV show with superheroes. Over the years many TV shows were inspired by comic book superheroes, without even counting the animation ones. One of the oldest examples is 1952’s Superman with George Reeves, which run for six seasons. The specific DC superhero is the one with the most TV adaptations, with the most notable ones: Superboy (1988) with Gerard Christopher, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993) with Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher on the main roles, and Smallville (2001) with Tom Welling in the role of a young Clark Kent.

By P. Tsoutsis

with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno on the main role, Flash (1990) with John Wesley Shipp and Amanda Pays, and Blade: The Series (2006) with Sticky Fingaz.

ful Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (2003) with Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Heroes (2004) which run for four seasons and focused on people who discovered their new superpowers.

Although they are not based on comic books, it’s worth mentioning a few shows that tell stories of superheroes like Dark Angel (2000) with Jessica Alba, the more success-

Apart from Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., there are quite a few TV shows based on comic book superheroes that are already on air or about to air this season. Arrow (2012) is based on DC’s superhero the Green Arrow, and it’s about a young billionaire, who’s get stranded on an island for five years, only to return to his home and start fighting crime using the things that he learnt there, including the use of a bow. The success of Arrow led to the development of a spin-off series based on another DC superhero Flash, which is scheduled to premiere this fall. In fact two episodes of Arrow’s second season served as a back-door pilot to the new show. Gotham is also scheduled to premiere this fall, based

Other TV adaptations of comic book superheroes include: The Green Hornet (1966) with Van Williams and Bruce Lee, Batman (1966) with Adam West and Burt Ward, Wonder Woman (1975) with Lynda Carter, The Incredible Hulk (1978)

Dexter was one of the most complex characters on TV. For eight seasons the show focused on the life of an unusual serial killer that of Dexter Morgan. Hiding in plain sight and using his occupation as a blood splatter analyst for the police, he used to track down his victims and kill them. Even from a young age he had the urges to kill other people. He called these urges the “Dark Passenger”. Luckily for him, he had his foster father to help him suppress his killing tendencies, and teach him a code of morality that he followed all his life. This code could be summarised in the following sentence: Killing is bad. But if you have to kill, at least kill someone, who beyond all doubt, deserves it. Although his father died long ago, he frequently had visions of him as part of his consciousness.

Psychological Profile: Dexter Morgan - Dexter

By P. Tsoutsis

Regarding the hunt, it was always ritualistic and included tracking down as much information about his victim. When the opportunity arose, he tranquillized them and took them into an abandoned place. Using the knowledge of a forensic analyst, he tried not to leave

on Batman’s universe, and it will follow the career of Commissioner James Gordon from the days that he was just a detective. Last show to premiere this fall based on comic book superheroes is Constantine. The specific character is based on DC’s Hellblazer, and it’s about a magician who’s trying to protect humanity from supernatural beings.

behind any clues about his identity, so he always covered the room with plastic bags, and he always disposed the bodies into the ocean. But not before taking a drop of blood from each of his victims as a trophy. In the mean time, he tried really hard to pass as a normal person, and never reveal the monster inside him. That included socializing with his co-workers, hanging out with his sister, even getting married with a woman and becoming a father. Despite his effort, he never managed to get really attached with any of these people, and he always tried to find others like him, even if they were rival serial killers. Eventually his overconfidence led him to mistakes, and these mistakes led him to his downfall. The constant lies to hide his identity became transparent and people around him started learning his secret, but at great cost as he lost everyone that he cared about. For his role as Dexter, Michael Hall received many awards and nominations.

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The Big Bang Theory: Best Quotes

By P. Tsoutsis

The Big Bang Theory is not another sitcom. It’s a global phenomenon, which managed to reach many millions of viewers all over the world, in its seventh season last year. It follows a group of friends: Leonard, Sheldon, Penny, Howard, Raj, Bernadette and Amy, each of them with their own interests and idiosyncrasies. The following are some of the best quotes in the show. When Penny first met her new neighbours, they started talking about their eating habits:

happy to know that I now have a much better understanding of “friends with benefits”.

Penny: I’m a vegetarian, except for fish, and the occasional steak. I love steak! Sheldon: Well, that’s interesting. Leonard can’t process corn.

Sheldon often has trouble understanding the concept of sarcasm:

Once Sheldon saw Penny crying and his response was: Sheldon: Why are you crying? Penny: Because I’m stupid. Sheldon: That’s no reason to cry. One cries because one is sad. For example, I cry because others are stupid, and that makes me sad. Sheldon often tell his friends that he’s not crazy: Sheldon: I’m not crazy. My mother had me tested! Leonard was once curious on why Sheldon spent the night in Penny’s apartment: Leonard: What were you doing at

Leonard: For God’s sake, Sheldon, do I have to hold up a sarcasm sign every time I open my mouth? Sheldon: You have a sarcasm sign?

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Penny: You know, I remember my first bikini wax. My sister did it with duct tape and melted Crayolas. To this day, I can’t look at a box of crayons without crossing my legs.

tells

Raj and Stuart decided to start talking to random people in order to overcome their shyness:

Sheldon: A neutron walks into a bar and asks how much for a drink. The bartender replies “for you, no charge”.

Stuart: How about those guys on that bench over there? They look pathetic. Maybe we could talk to them. Raj: That’s a mirror.

Sheldon occasionally very funny jokes:

Leonard often challenges Sheldon to solve scientific riddles: Leonard: What would you be if you were attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis? Sheldon: Screwed. Leonard: There you go. When Penny dislocated her shoulder in the bathtub, Sheldon offered to help her dress but without looking, leading to an awkward moment:

Penny’s? Sheldon: Well, we had dinner, played some games, and then I spent the night. Oh, and you’ll be

Penny still has memories from her first bikini wax:

Penny: You gotta help me get my arm into my sleeve. Sheldon: Okay! Penny: Is that my arm? Sheldon: It doesn’t feel like an arm. Penny: Then maybe you should let it go.

Penny: You know Amy, when we say we’re having girl talk, it doesn’t mean that we just have to talk about our lady parts. Amy: That’s a shame. I had a real zinger about my tilted uterus. Sheldon’s favourite games is a modified version of Scissors, Paper, Rock, and it goes like this:

Before Howard was allowed to join the NASA mission, an FBI background check of all his friends was needed: Raj: I can’t talk to the FBI. Howard: Why? They’re just going to ask background questions about me. Raj: I’m brown and I talk funny. Amy couldn’t understand at first the concept of a girl talk:

Sheldon: Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors.

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Little Man (2006) The same applies for the Wayans Family whose members have been in numerous productions over the years. Brothers Marlon and Shawn Wayans are, in my opinion, responsible for the boom of the parody movie in the early 2000’s. Now, is that a good thing, you might ask. Well, I think it worked perfectly the first time with “Scary Movie” in 2001 and it went all downhill from there on with productions like Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie and the sequels to Scary Movie disgracing the whole genre of the parody. Marlon and Shawn did all sorts of comedy films besides parodies. One of their endeavors was 2006’s “Little Man” and is justifiably considered among the worst movies ever made.

By Kostas Krasonis

W OR ST MO V I E S EV ER

There are many families in Hollywood; The Baldwins, the Arquettes, the Coppolas, the Sheen/Estevez family and many others. All or most of the aforementioned families’ members are Hollywood actors and actresses, directors etc.

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The plot is about a midget convict named Calvin Simms (Marlon Wayans) –He did his scenes on a “bluescreen” while a 9-yearold acted with the rest of the cast- who is released from prison and immediately organizes a robbery at a jewelry store. He manages to steal a big diamond but gets pursued by the police. In parallel, we meet Darryl (Shawn Wayans) and Vanessa (Kerry Washington), a young couple that tries to find some common ground between Darryl’s fatherhood instincts and desire to reproduce and Vanessa’s focus on her career. Their paths cross at a convenient store where the couple shops and Calvin goes in to hide from the police. Then, for some unexplained reason as he could have hidden it anywhere in the store, Calvin puts the diamond in Vanessa’s handbag. He avoids the police and tries to come up with a way to retrieve the “rock”. His idiot rapper friend (Tracy Morgan) suggests that they

should dress him up as a baby in order to get inside the house. And so they do. The rest of the movie revolves around the moronic efforts of Calvin to get the diamond (which fail every time because of some imbecilic reason) and his sexual advances to Vanessa and her female friends. Chazz Palminteri plays a mob boss who badly wants the diamond and after Morgan’s character fails to deliver it, he decides to go to Darryl’s house and take it himself. At this point, Calvin has successfully grabbed the diamond and is leaving but then realizes that the family really loved him and don’t deserve to die by the mobster’s hand. He turns back, defeats all the bad guys and is eventually sort of adopted by the family as an adult and retires from his criminal activities. Little Man is a sloppy comedy, based on clichés that it allegedly satirizes but falls into each and every one of them. Cheap shots of people getting hit in the nuts are not going to win you any praise. In fact, they’re going to win you seven Razzie nominations and three Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Actor, Screen Couple and Remake/Ripoff. To conclude, I don’t want to totally dismiss the comic efforts of the Wayans Brothers because I have enjoyed their sense of humor in several occasions (and call me crazy but “White Chicks” had me laughing pretty hard) but if you don’t get new material and decide to recycle old racial jokes in a movie without a proper plot, you’re going to get bad reviews at least. And that seems to be the case quite often lately for the siblings.

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“Auschwitz begins wherever someone looks at a slaughterhouse and thinks: they’re only animals.” -Theodor W. Adorno-

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195 million children worldwide suffer from the effects of malnutrition. In 2011, MSF treated 408,000 children in more than 30 countries. Copyright: Francesco Zizola

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